CNU defends response to reported sexual assaults

NEWPORT NEWS — — Christopher Newport University is defending its decision not to notify students of three sexual assaults reported on campus in February.

Campus police began investigating the incidents Feb. 26 when it was reported that three sexual assaults had occurred in university housing between last October and February, said Lori Jacobs, university spokeswoman, in an email.

The first reported incident took place at Wilson Apartments on an unknown date in late October, while the second occurred at James River Hall in an unknown day in early November, Jacobs said. The third reported incident occurred Feb. 24 at Potomac River Hall.

An investigation revealed that the incidents were not related, and in each case the people involved knew each other, Jacobs said.

The circumstances surrounding each case is the reason a campus alert wasn't sent out notifying students of the incidents, Jacobs said.

"University police utilize the text alert messaging system and notify the campus community in instances where there is deemed to be an imminent or ongoing threat, or they do not know the identity and location of the accused," Jacobs wrote in an email. "In each of these cases, all parties were immediately known to the university and the alleged suspects were immediately identified by university police and interviewed. Therefore, there was no threat to the university community."

Despite the explanation by CNU officials, there are still some students who remain critical of the university's response to the sexual assaults, said Darryl Fetz, editor of the "The Captain's Log," the university's student newspaper.

In an editorial written last month, the newspaper criticized university officials for their lack of transparency with students.

"CNU is so desperate to maintain an angelic and pristine image that it takes bad press for the administration to be honest with its students about issues like reported sexual assaults…months after they've occurred," according to the editorial.

Fetz said students just want the university to be more open about things that are happening on campus.

"Students want to be safe on campus and want to be notified when something occurs," he said.